37 research outputs found
Calorimeter R&D for the SuperNEMO Double Beta Decay Experiment
SuperNEMO is a next-generation double beta decay experiment based on the
successful tracking plus calorimetry design approach of the NEMO3 experiment
currently running in the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (LSM). SuperNEMO can
study a range of isotopes, the baseline isotopes are 82Se and possibly 150Nd.
The total isotope mass will be 100-200 kg. A sensitivity to neutrinoless double
beta decay half-life greater than 10e26 years can be reached which gives access
to Majorana neutrino masses of 50-100 meV. One of the main challenges of the
SuperNEMO R&D is the development of the calorimeter with an unprecedented
energy resolution of 4% FWHM at 3 MeV (Qbb value of 82Se).Comment: Presented at 13th International Conference on Calorimetry in High
Energy Physics (CALOR08), Pavia, Italy, 26-30 May 200
Ge Detectors and : The Search for Double Beta Decay with Germanium Detectors: Past, Present and Future
High Purity Germanium Detectors have excellent energy resolution; the best
among the technologies used in double beta decay. Since neutrino-less double
beta decay hinges on the search for a rare peak upon a background continuum,
this strength has enabled the technology to consistently provide leading
results. The Ge crystals at the heart of these experiments are very pure; they
have no measurable U or Th contamination. The added efforts to reduce the
background associated with electronics, cryogenic cooling, and shielding have
been very successful, leading to the longevity of productivity. The first
experiment published in 1967 by the Milan group of Fiorini, established the
benchmark half-life limit yr. More recently, the \MJ\ and
GERDA collaborations have developed new detector technologies that optimize the
pulse waveform analysis. As a result, the GERDA collaboration refuted the claim
of observation with a revolutionary approach to shielding by immersing the
detectors directly in radio-pure liquid argon. In 2018, the \MJ\ collaboration,
using a classic vacuum cryostat and high-Z shielding, achieved a background
level near that of GERDA by developing very pure materials for use nearby the
detectors. Together, GERDA and \MJ\ have provided limits approaching
yr. In this article, we elaborate on the historical use of Ge detectors for
double beta decay addressing the strengths and weaknesses. We also summarize
the status and future as many \MJ\ and GERDA collaborators have joined with
scientists from other efforts to give birth to the LEGEND collaboration. LEGEND
will exploit the best features of both experiments to extend the half-life
limit beyond yr with a ton-scale experiment.Comment: Invited submission to Frontiers in Physic
The IAXO Helioscope
Çetin, Serkant Ali (Dogus Author) -- Conference full title: 7th International Symposium on Large TPCs for Low-Energy Rare Event Detection; Institute of Astroparticle Physics (APC) Campus - Paris Diderot UniversityParis; France; 15 December 2014 through 17 December 2014The IAXO (International Axion Experiment) is a fourth generation helioscope with a sensitivity, in terms of detectable signal counts, at least 104 better than CAST phase-I, resulting in sensitivity on gaγ one order of magnitude better. To achieve this performance IAXO will count on a 8-coil toroidal magnet with 60 cm diameter bores and equipped with X-ray focusing optics into 0.20 cm2 spots coupled to ultra-low background Micromegas X-ray detectors. The magnet will be on a platform that will allow solar tracking for 12 hours per day. The next short term objectives are to prepare a Technical Design Report and to construct the first prototypes of the hardware main ingredients: demonstration coil, X-ray optics and low background detector while refining the physics case and studying the feasibility studies for Dark Matter axions
Nuclear Physics Neutrino PreTown Meeting: Summary and Recommendations
In preparation for the nuclear physics Long Range Plan exercise, a group of
104 neutrino physicists met in Seattle September 21-23 to discuss both the
present state of the field and the new opportunities of the next decade. This
report summarizes the conclusions of that meeting and presents its
recommendations. Further information is available at the workshop's web site.
This report will be further reviewed at the upcoming Oakland Town Meeting.Comment: Latex, 31 pages. This version has been updated to include final
Comments from the working group
Double Beta Decay, Majorana Neutrinos, and Neutrino Mass
The theoretical and experimental issues relevant to neutrinoless double-beta
decay are reviewed. The impact that a direct observation of this exotic process
would have on elementary particle physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics and
cosmology is profound. Now that neutrinos are known to have mass and
experiments are becoming more sensitive, even the non-observation of
neutrinoless double-beta decay will be useful. If the process is actually
observed, we will immediately learn much about the neutrino. The status and
discovery potential of proposed experiments are reviewed in this context, with
significant emphasis on proposals favored by recent panel reviews. The
importance of and challenges in the calculation of nuclear matrix elements that
govern the decay are considered in detail. The increasing sensitivity of
experiments and improvements in nuclear theory make the future exciting for
this field at the interface of nuclear and particle physics.Comment: invited submission to Reviews of Modern Physics, higher resolution
figures available upon request from authors, Version 2 has fixed typos and
some changes after referee report